أَحبَّهاhe loved her وَأَحَبَّتهُand she loved him
أَحبَّها وَأَحَبَّتهُ
وَماتاand they both died عَلىin هَوىًlove وَتَلاقِand union
وَماتا عَلى هَوىً وَتَلاقِ
He loved her, and she loved him,
and they died in love and union.
لَمdid not تَخُنbetray فيهِin it بَعلَهاher husband فَتَريستfor Tristan (first part)
لَم تَخُن فيهِ بَعلَها فَتَريست
انُ(completes 'Tristan') وَإيزولتُand Iseult أَشرفُthe noblest العُشّاقِthe lovers
انُ وَإيزولتُ أَشرفُ العُشّاقِ
She did not betray her husband in this, for Tristan
and Iseult were the noblest of lovers.
سُقياthey were given to drink خمرةَwine الرُقىthe spells وَخلودُand immortality الthe (prefixed to 'love')
سُقيا خمرةَ الرُقى وَخلودُ ال
حُبِّlove فيin ذلِكَthat الشَرابِthe drink الراقيenchanting
حُبِّ في ذلِكَ الشَرابِ الراقي
They were given the wine of spells, and the immortality of
love is in that enchanting drink.
عَصَرَpressed out السِحرُmagic روحَهُits soul كلّثall (apparently mistyped) مَنwho يَش(first part of 'drinks')
عَصَرَ السِحرُ روحَهُ كلّث مَن يَش
رَبُ(completes 'drinks') مِنهُof it يَهوىloves إِلىto الأَرماقِthe last breaths
رَبُ مِنهُ يَهوى إِلى الأَرماقِ
Magic pressed out its soul; all who
drink of it love to their very last breath.
وَدَرىand he knew بَعلُهاher husband وَلَمand did not يكُbe يَدريknow
وَدَرى بَعلُها وَلَم يكُ يَدري
أَيّwhat خَمرٍwine تَحولcourses فيin الأَعراقِthe veins
أَيّ خَمرٍ تَحول في الأَعراقِ
Her husband knew, yet did not know
what wine coursed through their veins.
وَإِذاand behold بِالوشاةِthe informers (there they were) كَالسُمِّlike poison يَندَسّcreep in (first part)
وَإِذا بِالوشاةِ كَالسُمِّ يَندَسّ
ونَ(plural ending of 'creep in') منfrom قُزمةٍa dwarf وَمنand from عملاقِa giant
ونَ من قُزمةٍ وَمن عملاقِ
And behold, informers crept in like poison—
dwarf and giant alike.
فَرَمىso he flung بَعلُهاher husband بِهاher فيinto قَطيعٍa herd
فَرَمى بَعلُها بِها في قَطيعٍ
أَبرَصٍleprous مِنfrom among عَبيدِهِhis slaves لِتُلاقيso she might encounter
أَبرَصٍ مِن عَبيدِهِ لِتُلاقي
So her husband flung her into a herd
of his leprous slaves, to face them.
غَيرَexcept أَنَّthat الحَبيبَthe lover أَنقَذَهاrescued her مِنfrom
غَيرَ أَنَّ الحَبيبَ أَنقَذَها مِن
هُhim/it (attached pronoun) وَفَرّاand they both fled إِلىto مَكانٍa place واقِsheltering
هُ وَفَرّا إِلى مَكانٍ واقِ
But her lover rescued her from
it, and they fled to a place of refuge.
وَهماand they both فيin أَلذِّthe sweetest عيشٍlife أَتىcame القُزthe dwarf (first part)
وَهما في أَلذِّ عيشٍ أَتى القُز
مَةُ(completes 'the dwarf') أَغرينAghrin صائِنُguardian of الأَخلاقِmorals
مَةُ أَغرين صائِنُ الأَخلاقِ
As they lived the sweetest life, there came the
dwarf Aghrin, guardian of morals.
قالَhe said رُدَّreturn الَّذيwhat سَرَقتَyou stole فَماfor as long as لَمnot
قالَ رُدَّ الَّذي سَرَقتَ فَما لَم
يُرتَجَعis reclaimed لاno خَلاصَsalvation لِلسرّاقِfor thieves
يُرتَجَع لا خَلاصَ لِلسرّاقِ
He said, ‘Return what you stole; so long as it is not
reclaimed, there is no salvation for thieves.’
فَأَجابَso he replied الحَبيبُthe lover إِنَّindeed ضَميريmy conscience
فَأَجابَ الحَبيبُ إِنَّ ضَميري
مُطَمئِنٌّat peace صافclear كَهذيlike these السَواقيwatercourses
مُطَمئِنٌّ صاف كَهذي السَواقي
The lover replied, ‘My conscience
is at peace, clear as these streams.
أَنتَyou لَمdid not تَدرِknow أَيَّwhat خَمرٍwine شَرِبناwe drank
أَنتَ لَم تَدرِ أَيَّ خَمرٍ شَرِبنا
أَيَّwhat كَأسٍcup مِنَfrom السَماءِheaven دُهاقِbrimming
أَيَّ كَأسٍ مِنَ السَماءِ دُهاقِ
You did not know what wine we drank,
what brimming cup from heaven.
هوhe أَلقىcast بِهاher إِلىinto دَرَكِthe lowest depths of البرُthe lepers (first part)
هو أَلقى بِها إِلى دَرَكِ البرُ
صِ(completes 'the lepers') فَأَنهَضتُهاand I raised her إِلىto آفاقيmy horizons
صِ فَأَنهَضتُها إِلى آفاقي
He cast her down into the depths of
the lepers, and I raised her to my horizons.
إِنَّindeed إيزولتَIseult ليmine وَغابَand vanished الحَبيباthe two lovers (first part)
إِنَّ إيزولتَ لي وَغابَ الحَبيبا
نِ(completes 'the two lovers') وَراءَbehind الصخورِthe rocks وَالأَوراقِand the leaves
نِ وَراءَ الصخورِ وَالأَوراقِ
Iseult is mine!’ And the two lovers vanished
behind the rocks and leaves.
ماتاthey both died وَإِذand when شوهداthey were seen فيin الthe (prefixed to 'forest')
ماتا وَإِذ شوهدا في ال
غابِforest مَيتَينِboth dead فيin أَعَفِّthe chastest عِناقِembrace
غابِ مَيتَينِ في أَعَفِّ عِناقِ
They died; and when they were seen in the
forest, dead in the chastest embrace,
دُفِناthey both were buried كُلّeach عاشِقٍlover فيin ضَريحٍa tomb
دُفِنا كُلّ عاشِقٍ في ضَريحٍ
إِنَّماyet المَوتُdeath لَمdid not يَكُنbe لِفِراقِfor separation
إِنَّما المَوتُ لَم يَكُن لِفِراقِ
they were buried, each lover in a tomb.
Yet death was not to part them.
فَرَأىso saw الناسُthe people فيin الصَباحِthe morning عَلىabove القَبthe two graves (first part)
فَرَأى الناسُ في الصَباحِ عَلى القَب
رَينِ(completes 'the two graves') قَوساًan arch تَمتَدُّextends فيin إِشراقِradiance
رَينِ قَوساً تَمتَدُّ في إِشراقِ
Then in the morning people saw above the two
graves an arch stretching in radiance,
تَجمَعُunites العاشِقينِthe two lovers فيin غَمرَةِa profusion of الزَهthe flowers (first part)
تَجمَعُ العاشِقينِ في غَمرَةِ الزَه
رِ(completes 'the flowers') وَفيand in نَشوَةٍecstasy مِنَof الأَشواقِlongings
رِ وَفي نَشوَةٍ مِنَ الأَشواقِ
uniting the lovers in a profusion of
flowers and in an ecstasy of longing.
تِلكَthat ياO لَيلَLayla (shortened vocative) قِصَّةُthe story of الحُبِّlove وَالمَوand death (first part)
تِلكَ يا لَيلَ قِصَّةُ الحُبِّ وَالمَو
تِ(completes 'death') أَتَتاthey both came مِنَfrom العُصورِthe ages العِتاقِancient
تِ أَتَتا مِنَ العُصورِ العِتاقِ
That, O Layla, is the tale of love and
death; both came from ages of old.
وَيَراهاand considers it أُسطورَةًa myth كُلُّevery قَلبٍheart
وَيَراها أُسطورَةً كُلُّ قَلبٍ
لَمdid not تُحَرِّكهُstir it خَمرُwine ذاكَthat الساقيthe cupbearer
لَم تُحَرِّكهُ خَمرُ ذاكَ الساقي
And it seems a myth to every heart
unstirred by the wine of that cupbearer—
كُلَّevery قَلبٍheart لاnot يَشرَبُdrinks الدَمُblood فيin الحُlove (first part)
كُلَّ قَلبٍ لا يَشرَبُ الدَمُ في الحُ
بِّ(completes 'love') وَلاand does not يَرتَويquench its thirst مِنfrom الأَعماقِthe depths
بِّ وَلا يَرتَوي مِن الأَعماقِ
every heart that drinks no blood in
love, nor quenches its thirst from the depths.
قُلتِyou said (feminine) هذاthis الطَلىwine عَصَرناهُwe pressed it مِنّاfrom us
قُلتِ هذا الطَلى عَصَرناهُ مِنّا
وَشَرِبناand we drank رُقاهُits spells فيin الميثاقِthe covenant
وَشَرِبنا رُقاهُ في الميثاقِ
You said, ‘This wine we pressed from ourselves,
and drank its spells in our covenant.
فَالجَمالُfor the beauty الَّذيthat يَسيلُflows عَلَيناover us
فَالجَمالُ الَّذي يَسيلُ عَلَينا
ماnot طَفاfloated مِثلهُits like عَلىupon أَحداقِpupils of the eyes
ما طَفا مِثلهُ عَلى أَحداقِ
For the beauty flowing over us—
nothing like it has ever floated upon eyes.’